Those who played the original on the Wii U console might not need any adjustment for the Nintendo Switch controllers, but they can expect a revamped version of the game to go along with nostalgia. Regardless of Nintendo’s decision to wait to re release Xenoblade Chronicles X till late in the Switch’s lifespan, it gives us for the remaining games from the Wii-U era to eventually go the remaster treatment like Chronicles X. As expected, the upgraded graphics for Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition are immediately made evident, as Mira looks like a living, breathing, lush planet, while New Los Angeles looks like it has life all around it.
Everything from the foliage, to the rocks, to the walls, and all the way up to the clouds look like they have autonomy of their own. The characters’ expressions stand out the most, however. Your character is still silent, and there is not much changed regarding their function throughout the game graphics-wise. In short, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition took full advantage of the Switch’s graphic prowess and paid off. In regards to exploring, the Definitive Edition includes a new continent to explore, and more story content. Perhaps the most improved aspect of the game is the updated user interface, which is perhaps the most improved one amongst the titles for the Switch.
It needs to be noted that Xenoblade Chronicles X features a character created by the player for the first time in the series. A lone rookie survives a crash, and the player is set to create them as they see fit, and this rookie is quickly drafted to help New LA, and joins one of 8 divisions, after they are discovered by Elma discovers who takes an active role because she sees potential in them It must be said that the character creator is a pretty good one for a 10 year old game, and gives lots of different options to customize how you want the character to look and stand out, and that there are multiple choices for the voice. It’s fun to make a character that just stands out enough amongst the more normal citizens.
You, as the player player and allies will take on 12 story chapters, fighting bosses, and learning why they are here on Mira. The story takes time to get through and about halfway through the game the player will finally get a Skell license, which will open up the game drastically and make exploration and easier. The Skells are mechs that allow you to do some truly amazing things, and are a blade to play with, especially when flying through air and fighting other Skells styled enemies. It’s something to both look forward too and get used to, as by the time it’s usable patterns have already formed.
Xenoblade games are known for their casts of characters and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is no exception. The aforementioned Elma is a standout character who serves as the deuteragonist of the game and is a capable and active leader who will help the player in countless missions. Other characters include, Lin a young woman and genius who is also part of the canon team, Tatsu, a slightly annoying Nopon and the Commander, Vandham.
These are the characters that you will get to know the most but there are more as well, and in fact there are a variety of characters from the divisions that are also playable, coming in at a cast of around 22. You can choose to have any assortment in your party, which adds another layer of customization. You are also responsible for outfitting them with armor and leveling up their skills and arts, and the various characters all have bits of dialogue like in other Xenoblade games that they shout out during battle.
When it comes to combat, Chronicles X offers a fast-paced combat system that makes the player almost forget about the environment. Besides the standard combat, there’s the incorporation of party members with varying skills, and a vast array of Arts to use simultaneously. Upgraded elements for the combat aspect include a Quick Cooldown option along with a new energy pull, which removes the cooldown period for Arts, albeit this can be done a few times per battle, and being able to swap party members for quick adjustment for specific enemies. For veterans of the Xenoblade series, these changes may feel more like an upgrade rather than a learning curve, but still a fun time when compared to the previous version.
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is all about missions and these missions take different forms, such as the affinity missions that tell the player more about the characters and require a certain amount of affinity, gained by having the characters in your party and completing missions. Then there are the various quests you will take on to level up and explore the world before tackling story missions. Thankfully. Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition gives a recommended level for the missions and as such, you will not be surprised by how intense some can be.
You can take on up to 20 missions at a time, and the map will display the locations, and the follow ball will highlight where items are, and lead you to to destinations. It is not necessary to use the follow ball, but with the world being so massive sometimes a little guidance can end up being a massive help. Many of these missions are just fetch quests, but they do serve a purpose in that these quests get you to explore more of the world and learn what is going on, which prepares you well for the story.
The music in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is an interesting choice as while most of it is amazing, some feels out of place for the type of game this is. Some of the rap songs, while great, seem like they don’t quite fit in, while the battle music when the player is facing a legendary creature definitely is a standout. The music in Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition may be a bit uneven but it is balance by how gorgeous everything looks. The world of Mira is stunning and you just want to get lost in it over and over again.
The definitive edition adds a new epilogue at the end of the game that more thoroughly handles the experience, though no spoilers will be given here. There are also four more characters added, you can change the time party whenever and wherever you want which will save time. You can no also level the party to level 99 and find costumes and accessories based on other Xenoblade characters, which is a nice touch.
Despite its many overhauls, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is not without its flaws. There is still a slow-paced story, as well as a drawn-out path to level up characters, and those aspects are still present in this version. Perhaps the most exhausting part of the game is the many mining missions, which involve randomized results – meaning they require more luck than skill. Whether it’s a typical part of role-playing games or not, requiring players to put forth upwards of 20-30 hours of progress before being able to explore the game’s landscape without fear of encountering overpowered enemies. Granted, increasing levels should be the norm in every RPG, however, in a game that encourages exploration, requiring a high number of hours before being able to explore comfortably can be detrimental.
Regardless of the inevitable power grind, there’s room for enjoying the path to progressing past levels, and the overall experience is great. You can also take part in online challenges. and fight all sorts of monsters and boss monsters with many lives. It adds some great content to a game that could already take hundreds of hours to 100%, and while it doesn’t have anything to do with the story, players can try it out at anytime so it’s nice to see there will be content for players to play for a good while to come. Overall, there’s lots of positives to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition that make it a game worth playing for both newcomers and veterans of the franchise.
Considering this game was only available on a console which ended its run in 2017 ( for the most part), the time to revisit is now, and with its many upgrades, it’s certainly worth trying again in 2025. Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition is a great game and and entry point to Xenoblade as a whole. Mira is a planet full of life will the rookie help the humans find some level of peace here?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
